On the prowl
by Sleepy Sheep Guardian
Summary: Oneshot TalaRei. When Rei falls ill and the rest of the BladeBreakers are away, who does Kai ask to watch over our favorite Chinese blader?


SS-Hey minna-san! This is…well, it's my first one-shot for BeyBlade. Truth be told, it wasn't supposed to be, but inspiration hit me when I read this other Rei/Tala ficcy and I felt like I had to do something. So, here goes _absolutely nothing! I don't have much experience with this couple…wish me luck! _

~*~*~*~

On the prowl 

One-shot Rei/Tala (Quite unusual for me)

Disclaimer: I don't own BeyBlade or it's characters…no suing please, I'm currently broke. ^^;;

**Warning**: 1) I don't know if this is necessary, but this _is_ a GuyXGuy thing if you haven't figured it out yet…so if you don't like…don't read! Seems pretty simple to me. 2) And some Kai OOC-ness near the end…ah well Tala and Rei are OOC too, but I tried to keep them together as best I could. 3) This piece is pretty long, I was going to separate it into two chapters, but it's a one-shot so I kept it this way. Hope that's ok.

Summary – Rei hasn't changed much since the Championships a few months ago. He's still a great friend, an excellent blader, and is still catlike in all features. However, he can't take care of himself when a fever overtakes him so Kai calls an old friend to watch after him. 

~*~*~*~

          '…I hope he doesn't say 'I told you so' when I wake up…he's too mature for that, right?' He felt a hand brush across his forehead and sweep gently over his cheeks. It was very comforting. 'Yea, Kai wouldn't do that…_if_ he's in a good mood. Hopefully he is.' Confident that everything was ok, apart from his sudden illness, Rei slowly opened his eyes. He was in his hotel room, which he always shared with Kai. 

          The BladeBreakers had been invited to a charity tournament in Hokkaido, and they gladly accepted. They had arrived yesterday, and that's when things started. That's when Rei began to feel lightheaded and dizzy. Thinking that it was just a headache from the flight, he took some medicine and went to sleep early. However, once he had awakened, his head was pounding harder than before. The raven-haired blader had managed to trick the others, but Kai saw right through him. The bluenette tried to convince him to stay at the hotel, but Rei didn't want to miss the tournament so he persuaded Kai to let him go. 

          He should have stayed, for once they arrived, he fainted. When he woke he was in their private room, the others greatly worried. Again he tried to pass it off as nothing, but Kai wouldn't take it this time. He called a taxi and brought him back to the hotel. That's when Rei blacked out again, and now he was feeling guilty for dragging Kai from the tournament. 

          "How are you feeling?" Rei sat up and rubbed his temples. 

          "Still a little dizzy, but I think I'm ok." He sighed. "Kai, I'm sorry for making you leave the tournament. I should have known bett-what?!" When he had turned to meet his captain he gasped in shock. It wasn't Kai…just the opposite…it was Tala. He was sitting in a chair next to Rei's bed, clad in white jeans, an orange turtleneck and a matching white vest. He hadn't seen the captain since the World Championships a couple months ago, and he hadn't changed much. The boy smirked.

          "Is something wrong?" Rei quickly scanned the room; Kai was nowhere in sight, and Tala's bag was on the dresser. 

          "Wh-What are you doing here?! Where's Kai?!" He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms.

          "I'm here to take care of you, and you're welcome." 

          "But…where's Kai? I could have sworn he took me back here!"

          "He did, but then Tyson called and told him that the captain of the team had to be present in order for the team to participate in the tournament. Luckily he remembered that I had come to watch, so he asked me to stay with you and make sure you were ok." Rei shook his head; all this wasn't helping his headache.

          "Ok, first of all…I can take care of myself…and second of all…aren't you the enemy?!" He pushed Rei back onto the bed gently and put another wet towel on his head.

          "If you could take care of yourself, then Kai wouldn't have called me. Don't you trust your captain's decisions?"

          "…Of course I do-"

          "So if you trust him in leaving someone to take care of you, shouldn't you also trust in the person he asked to watch over you?" Rei bolted up.         

          "That's completely different! Just because Kai trusts you doesn't mean I have to! I mean, I'd put my life in Lee's hands but you'd never see Kai left alone in the same room with him!" Again Tala pushed him down and picked up the cloth.

          "While that is probably true, it's not the case." He dipped the towel into the basin next to him and ringed it out. "Fact is, Kai and I are pretty good friends. Ever since I met him in the abbey we've been friends. Even when I fought against him things didn't change. And after the championships were over, we stayed in touch and got together when we could." He placed it on Rei's forehead again. "Now, Kai asked me to make sure you were ok and to stay with you until they came back, and like it or not, that's what I'm going to do. I don't break promises to those I trust, and that includes Kai." Rei starred at him.

          "Well don't expect me to be happy about it. You haven't done anything to show that you're good and a hell of a lot to show you're bad. I hope you'll excuse me if I don't take to you like a duck to water." He nodded.

          "Fair enough." Tala smirked as Rei glared at him.

          "What?"

          "You've spent too much time with Kai, your glare is just like his. What next? Are you going to become cold too?" Rei turned away from him. It was the best he could do since he was stuck in bed for the time being.

          "If I'm like Kai now, if I ask you to leave, will you?" Tala shook his head.

          "Afraid not kitten. Like I said before, I don't break my promises." Rei took the towel off and sat up.

          "Well I'm better now, so you can go anyway. And don't call me that!" The redhead grinned; he was fun to play with.

          "That wasn't the whole deal. I told Kai I'd stay with you until he came back. And it's not like you aren't use to that name. Doesn't Kai call you that?" Rei flung the covers aside and swung his legs over the edge of the bed.

          "Just because I let Kai call me that sometimes doesn't mean you can." He stood up. "And if _you're_ not going, then _I_ will." One step from the bed he already lost his balance, no doubt from his headache. He would have fallen too, if a certain redhead hadn't used his own quick reflexes to catch him around the waist. Rei opened his eyes and met Tala's cool cerulean ones.

          "I guess cats don't always land on their feet, eh kitten?" Rei blushed a little and looked away. Then he retained a gasp when the older blader picked him up. 

          "What are you doing?" He instinctively clung to the boy's shirt, not wanting to be dropped. 

          "You said you wanted to leave, didn't you?" Even though Tala was carrying him bridal style and he was pretty safe, Rei was still scared. He had a bad experience when he was little in the village back in China. One of the older kids had carried him up a trail since it was too narrow for two to walk side-by-side. Lee was behind them. The older boy hadn't seen the rock ahead of hi and tripped over it, losing Rei in the process. He would have tumbled down the rocky hill if Lee hadn't grabbed his hand and pulled him back up. Ever since, Rei didn't like to be carried off the way he was now. Piggyback was ok, but still the only times he had experienced that was with Tyson and Kai, both of whom he trusted more than the older boy that was currently walking him toward the door.

          "Yea, but not if you're coming with me! And put me down, I don't like being carried!" 

          "Why not? You're pretty light. Do you eat anything, or does Tyson take it all before you and the others can get to it?" He ignored the comment and stayed close to the boy's chest. He really wished Tala was shorter, but he had to be Kai's height.

          "Please! Tala, I don't like being carried, please put me down now!" He could tell the boy wasn't pretending anymore, Rei was really frightened that he would be dropped. He wasn't even looking where the older boy was taking him anymore; his face was buried against his orange shirt. The feeling was nice, but he didn't want Rei to be afraid.

          'I'd never let him fall, I'd always be there to catch him.' So he turned and with a few strides, was at the bed again. Gingerly he laid the boy down, and picked up the wet cloth hanging from the basin. He gently brushed it across the neko's forehead and cheeks, feeling a little guilty for scaring him. Rei opened his eyes and blinked a few times before pulling his knees up to his chest and turning away from him.

          "Great job of taking care of me." Tala sighed and sat down.

          "Well how was I supposed to know you're afraid of heights?"

          "I'm not afraid of heights! I just don't like it when I'm carried like that, ok?" The redhead put the towel aside.

          "What about that time I saw Kai carrying you?" Rei glanced at him.

          "Let me correct myself, I don't like it when I'm carried like that by people _I_ don't trust." 

          "Well I wasn't going to drop you or anything. Not only do you weigh next to nothing, but Kai would have killed me if I _purposely_ hurt you." Rei tilted his head. "We may be friends, but he still gets ticked when I do things like that." 

          "Wouldn't you?" Tala moved his head from side to side. 

          "I'd get mad, but I wouldn't kill him. Of course, you've probably never been on Kai's bad side."

          "Why do you think that?"

          "You don't seem like the type that could piss Kai off." Rei crossed his legs and shrugged his shoulders.

          "You'd be surprised then. He spends most of his time with us, and even more with me since we usually share a room." He looked over to Kai's bed across the room. "He's never blown up on me or anything, but he does lose his incredibly short temper from time to time." Tala pulled the top flap of his shirt down to expose a jagged cut along the base of his neck. 

          "At least he's never done this to you." Rei gasped, he never would have thought that Kai would do something like that.

          "Kai did that to you?!" He released the material so that it bounced back to where it was.

          "Of course not." Rei face-faulted. 

          "Then what the heck did you say that for?! Were you just trying to freak me out?!" He smirked. 

          "Well when it's that easy…" Rei was getting angry, they were finally getting along and then he pulls something like that. And accusing Kai of it no less! Tala was really beginning to annoy him. 

          'At least Kai knows when to stop…he knows what I can and cannot take…but Tala…he's just pushing me. And he seems to be enjoying it!' 

          "Oh don't stay silent kitten, if you want me to stop all you have to do is ask." Rei crossed his arms and closed his eyes, using all his self-control to keep from scratching a new scar onto his skin. 

          "All right Tala…stop."

          "You didn't say please."

          "…Tala…please stop." 

          "Stop what kitten?"

          "Stop calling me that and quit with the comments!" Tala starred at him.

          "Well it's not like you don't have a sharp tongue too." Rei leaned over and pointed at him.

          "Yea but I'm not using it!" The redhead didn't lose his cool or his temper far from it; he was having fun. Upon spotting the bit of blanket on the floor he decided to keep going. Without letting Rei know, he stepped on it and pulled it towards him, causing the rest of the covers to fall and making Rei lose his balance. "Huh-ah!" Tala caught him of course; he wouldn't want the boy to get injured.

          "Are you falling for me Rei?" He scratched his hands away and sat on the bed, turning away from him.

          "Are you doing this to annoy me or to get Kai back for something _by_ annoying me?!" Tala pretended to be hurt.

          "Rei, I wouldn't go so low as to hurt you to get to Kai…I don't need you to hurt him." 

          "So you're just doing this to annoy me right?" He leaned back against his chair.

          "Just trying to lighten the mood kitten." 

          "Hmph…" Tala shook his head.

          "Another Kai habit. He's not a very good influence on you."

          "Well he's a much better one than you." He lowered his voice. "I'd rather have him here than you." The redhead did hear it despite it being just above a whisper and looked over to the bluenette's empty bed. 

          'Never thought I'd be second to you in anything.' He got up quietly and left, closing the door gently behind him. Rei turned around quickly and blinked.

          "Was that all it took to make him leave? Why didn't I say it earlier?"

~*~

          Just as Tala closed the door he realized that he was in a hotel, and there weren't too many placed that he could go. He silently cursed, shoved his hands in his pockets and walked off in the direction opposite of the elevators, towards the emergency staircase. He knew that the alarm wasn't hooked up since he saw people working on it outside, so he pushed the door open effortlessly and was greeted with a cool breeze. He continued until he was at the edge, looking at the city from behind the rail. 

          'Why do most of my troubles begin with Kai? It's just not right.' He flicked one of his long bangs out of his face. 'I was forced to train harder because Kai had to be gifted. I got more beatings, including that scar on my neck, at the abbey because I wasn't as good as he was. And I underwent that cyborg treatment because _his_ team threatened Biovolt!' He sighed, squeezing his beyblade in his pocket. 'But I guess him being on the BladeBreakers isn't a bad thing. If he wasn't a part of them, they never would have come looking for him when he rejoined the abbey, and I wouldn't have met R– still, even that he manages to screw up. He shows no love interest in him other than one of the brotherly kind and _still_ it comes back to bite me.'

          He walked a little further where the rail was shorter and jumped over it, landing gracefully on top of it. There was another pole next to him that he could hold onto so that he didn't fall over, but he didn't need it. 'Rei takes his unusual caring actions in the wrong way, not to mention our past meetings have convinced him that I'm evil…so my chances with him are shot.' He looked up, the wind was picking up a little. 'Doesn't matter anyway, I don't need him. He's just a hobby.' 

          He felt his blade heat up a bit. 'Ok, a leisure pursuit.' Again the blade heated. 'So it's a small obsession, if I've made it this long without him, then I can make it the rest of my life.' The blade inside his pocket suddenly turned cold, icy even. 

          "Wolborg…" He took it out and gazed at his companion. "You just have to be right, don't you? Isn't it enough that Kai corrects me?" It flashed and he lowered it. "I don't need him. And he doesn't seem to need me, so we're even." His bangs flew from side to side as a gust passed him. 

          'Though…it would be nice if he was comfortable around me. I don't want him to be scared of me or think that I really am evil. But what can I do to change that? He's too stubborn. And that's something that he had before he met Kai. Though, being around the bluenette probably intensified it by a thousand.' The wind picked up again, and he almost lost his balance.

          "I know that you think you're invincible, but believe me, if you fall you won't survive." 

~*~ (A few minutes earlier)

          Rei was lying on his bed, trying to get some rest so that his illness would completely pass. However, he had been that way for half an hour now, and he was still wide-awake. He didn't understand, his body was yearning for sleep, but his mind wouldn't let him. And it wasn't the headache that was causing it. Frustrated, he got up and walked over to Kai's bed. He jumped onto it and tried to go to sleep there. 

Kai always knew how to calm him down, but since he wasn't here, maybe lying on his bed would do. He didn't know why, but lately, he and Kai had become closer. The bluenette seemed to have let him come past the barriers and get to know him. Could it be because he needed someone to talk to now that he was spending more time with the team? Or was he just getting more social? For whatever reason, Rei was grateful. He liked being around Kai, and knowing that somehow, in his own way, he helps to keep him grounded when Tyson pisses him off.

          Of course, Rei knew that this caring personality stopped when they were in public, and that it didn't go any farther than brotherly adoration. He was fine with that, he respected Kai and looked up to him, but he didn't love him, at least…not like that. Others make the mistake, but he knew that their care for each other didn't go that far. Besides, Rei already had someone else in mind, and he had a feeling that Kai knew who it was. He made small teases about it before, and now that they were closer he was pretty certain the bluenette knew. 

          'But he won't tell anyone. Kai won't tell him…he promised he wouldn't.' If there was something Rei could count on, it was Kai's promises. And about something this serious, he wouldn't go back on his word. 

          Still, lying on Kai's bed didn't help him get some rest. He had a feeling why he couldn't, but he wasn't sure if he should act upon it. Then again, if he didn't, he might not be able to get any rest until Kai came back. Sighing he got up and headed for the door. He had to find Tala.

~*~ (Ok, present time)

          Tala pivoted and smiled when he saw Rei standing a few feet from him. "That is, unless you can fly, which I highly doubt." He jumped down and walked over to him, noticing that he was shivering. 

          "Why are you up here Rei? You're still sick and this will only make things worse. Besides, I thought you didn't care what happened to me?" Rei shrugged his shoulders. 

          "I don't, but I can't sleep." Tala put Wolborg back in his pocket and crossed his arms.

          "And…you want me to tuck you in?" Rei blushed as he shook his head. 

          "N-No, I can't sleep because I feel guilty about what I said earlier. And I figure I won't be able to sleep until I apologize."

          "Apologize for…which thing you said?" Rei rubbed his bare arms; he should have brought a jacket. 

          "For saying that I rather have Kai here instead of you. I mean, it's true…but still, you probably didn't want to come and only did because Kai asked you to, so I shouldn't have been ungrateful." He shuddered. "I am thankful that you came because I don't think I could have taken care of myself if I was sleeping from the fever, and if Kai trusts you…you can't be all that bad." Tala grinned. "So…yea…thanks."

          "You mean to tell me, that you came up here, in the cold, because you wanted to thank me?" Rei shifted his footing.

          "You aren't going to make me say it all again, are you?" Tala shook his head as he took off his vest.

          "No, I just wanted to make sure we were on the same ground that's all." Walking closer to the shivering neko-jin and draped the thin, yet warm article of clothing over his shoulders. "Now you better go back inside before you get worse. No doubt Kai's already going to whack me upside the head for letting you come out here." Rei slipped his arms through the openings and hugged it close to him. 

          "Thanks…again. And I don't think Kai will."

          "Why not? Are you going to defend me?" Rei turned and began walking back.

          "No, I just don't think he'd hurt someone that he can complain about Tyson to." Tala nodded and followed him back inside.

~*~

          Now that his mind was at ease, Rei was able to get some sleep. He had been sound asleep for about two hours now, curled up on his own bed and still wearing Tala's vest. Not that the redhead minded, he was sitting next to him reading a book he had brought along. He glanced at the clock on the dresser; it was almost six o'clock. The sky outside said otherwise, as the darkness was taking over and storm clouds were coming in. 

          The tournament was supposed to end at six thirty, but he knew from experience that it usually drawled out longer than that. 'He'll probably wake up soon,' He noted, turning his attention to the sleeping neko. 'I better get something for dinner.' He grabbed his wallet and headed for the door until he remembered something. He turned back and scribbled a short message on the notepad on the dresser. 'Don't want him coming out to find me again.' He ripped it off and placed it on his chair, and then took off. He forgot however, that the window was open, and with the pending storm, the wind streamed into the room, blowing his note to the floor.

          About half an hour later Rei began to stir, probably because of the approaching storm. Whether that was the cause or not, it was the reason he finally woke from his slumber. A loud clap of thunder made him shoot up and look out the window, it was beginning to rain. Breathing a sigh of relief that that was all it was, he got up and closed the window, gazing out it for a while. 

          'I hope the others aren't caught up in this.' He realized that it was pretty quiet, and wondered if Tala had fallen sleep. "Tala?" He turned and scanned the room, but the redhead was nowhere to be found. "Tala." After checking the bathroom and the closet, Rei poked his head out the door. 'Did he go to the roof again?' Closing the door firmly behind him, the neko-jin jogged up to the emergency exit and saw that the alarm was on. 'He would have set it off if he had gone up there…hm…' He turned and headed back to his room, very curious (borderline worried) about where the older boy was. 

          "Where is he?" Rei hopped onto his bed, letting his feet dangle over the edge. "Maybe he did leave like I asked. No, he said that he wouldn't break a promise to Kai." He unconsciously began to toy with the zipper of the vest the older boy had lent him. "And he wouldn't leave without this…" He glanced outside. "Especially with the storm outside." The neko-jin swung his feet. "Where could he be?" Suddenly, something fell out of one of the pockets, landing with a light thump near his feet. "Huh?" He bent down to pick it up…it was Tala's blade, Wolborg. 

          "He definitely wouldn't leave without you…hm?" Something else caught his eye, a piece of paper half covered by the fallen blankets. "From Tala?"

          _Rei__, what do you want for dinner? Hopefully it's whatever I'm getting. Stay inside; I'll be back soon. -Tala_

          The raven-haired boy let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding as he sat up again. 'So that's where you went.' Pocketing Wolborg and the note in the vest pouch he got up and starred out the window. 'But there's a storm, and you don't even have this vest to keep you warm.' He glanced over his shoulder; he hadn't taken Kai's jacket either. 'Hopefully you'll be back soon.'

~*~

          It had been half an hour since Rei had discovered the note and now he was worried. 'And I can't even call him because that idiot left his cell phone in his vest!' Rei had found it a little earlier, it still puzzles him how he could have fallen asleep with a cell phone on one side and a beyblade in the other and not have been disturbed by either. He flicked the top over, it was a sliver Motorola, just like Kai's, and so he knew how it worked. Just like the bluenette's, it didn't have any games. 

          "Ok…it's been almost forty minutes since I read that note, and who knows how long since he wrote it…just what does 'soon' mean to him? Soon as in a few hours?" He wasn't really mad, just overly worried. He was also concerned for his team, the tournament should have ended already, but he could only agonize over one thing at a time. 

          He was sitting on Kai's bed, as it was closer to the window. He kept looking out it every now and then, hoping to see a flash of red or orange coming into the building. The storm hadn't let up; actually, it was getting worse. 'At least the others are inside; Tala has to come out to get back here, unless he's waiting the storm out at the restaurant or something.' The neko sighed again, what if Tala was stuck somewhere? He should have wakened him to go with him. 'Where are you Tala?' As if on cue, a knock came to the door. Rei shot up and dashed over, unlocking it and opening the door to reveal…

          "Tala! Oh god, you're soaked!" There stood the redhead, drenched from head to toe. He wasn't shivering, but maybe because he was out for so long he was numb. He was holding a box covered by a plastic bag, which Rei took as he walked in. "You went out into the storm for pizza? And you didn't even bring Kai's jacket _or_ the card key?! They're both right by the door!" He shook his head, trying to get rid of some of the excess water. 

          "It wasn't raining when I left, and I'll have you know that is the best pizza in Hokkaido." Rei put the box aside and started pushing Tala into the bathroom. 

          "Well I rather have a healthy Tala then some good pizza. You better take a shower before you get sick too."

          "But-" 

          "After all the worrying you put me through, this is the least you can do ok? Now go!" He shut the door behind him, leaving a confused Tala dripping wet. Sighing he decided that Rei was right, if he stayed in his clothes he'd be sick too, if he wasn't already. 

          "All that for pizza? What is it, made of gold?" Rei was rummaging through Kai's bag, searching for some clothes that the bluenette wouldn't miss, at least until Tala could return them. He pulled out a pair of navy cargo pants and a black tank top; hopefully they would fit him. He brought them over anyway, it was better than nothing, and all of his clothes were definitely too small for the redhead. 

          "Tala?" He knocked on the door; it was open. Could he not hear him? Rei walked in slowly, noticing that he was already in the shower. "I brought some of Kai's clothes for you to wear for now. They'll probably fit you better than mine." He placed the bundle on the sink counter, not noticing that the redhead had already stepped out. Wrapping a towel around his waist the redhead leaned over the boy and looked over the outfit. 

          "They'll do." Rei jumped from fright. Looking up into the mirror, he saw the older boy's reflection through the steam and turned around, his face was a few inches away from his, and that made him nervous. He smiled, trying to pass it off.

          "Uh…good because I'm definitely too small for you…er…my clothes I mean." Tala nodded. "I don't think Kai'll mind, so yea. Try them on and if they don't fit I can grab another set – ok, bye!" He dashed out, causing Tala to smirk. 

          'He's really cute when he's flustered.' He picked up Kai's cargo pants and looked them over, he wasn't sure about the color, but they'd do.

          'Ok…calm down.' He took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. 'There wasn't anything weird about that…it was just…yea.' He picked up a slice of pizza and took a bite, a smile immediately coming to his face. It was…good. Better than good actually, it had just the right amount of sauce, spice and yummyness for lack of a better term. When he heard the door open he complimented Tala on his decision. 

          "Mm…Tala this stuff is really good. I see why you wanted to go out to get it. What's the name of the pizzeria? If I tell Tyson about it maybe he'll stay there all day and the rest of us can relax."

          "How do I look?" Rei wiped his mouth with a napkin and looked up.

          "Now what kind of a name is th-wow…" Tala was just drying his hair with a towel, clad in Kai's clothes, but to Rei he looked yummy too. He was right, they were about the same height, the pants fit him to a tee. However, the tank top didn't fit quite as well. Actually, in Rei's opinion, it was very nice, but he figured it was a tad tight on him. 

          "So I take that as a good sign, right?" Rei looked away, blushing immensely. He nodded though, which was enough for Tala to work with. "I knew that Kai was a little skinnier than me," He tugged the lapel of Kai's high collared tank, and then pulled the bottom down a bit, it was a bit short, leaving some skin exposed. "But I guess he hasn't been eating much lately."

          "Uh…yea, it does hang on him a little. I hope it's not too uncomfortable." Tala shook his head and walked over to him, tossing the towel back into the bathroom.

          "It's fine. And besides, if it looks good to you, then it's all right."

          "Why me?" He sat beside him and picked up a slice of pizza. 

          "Because you're the only one that'll see me in these." He took a bite out of it, licking the sauce off his lips. 

          "Guess you're right." It went on like that for the remainder of 'dinner', Tala kept on bringing up small conversation and Rei tried to stop looking at him. It took about half an hour before they finished and Rei was the first to decide to clean up. He picked up the box and hopped off of Kai's one-stain bed, grabbing the card key and heading for the door.

          "What are you doing?" Rei stopped and turned around.

          "What does it look like I'm doing? Taking out the trash." Tala licked the last bit of sauce off his finger and followed him.

          "I can take care of that." He reached for it, only to have it pulled away. 

          "No, no, no, you got dinner, I'll take out dinner, ok? Ok." Without any more argument, Rei opened the door and left. Tala shook his head lightly and followed him, he was getting close to the neko and he wasn't about to let him get away. 

          "Down the chute and…viola! No more trash." He wiped the last bits of crumbs off his hands and turned to meet… "Dang! Tala…you have to stop doing that popping out of nowhere bit!" He breathed a sigh of relief. "I swear, you're going to be the end of m-"

          "What? You're nine lives?" Rei laughed. 

          "After the hell you've put me through today, I'm surprised if I have any left." He patted Tala's shoulder in a playful way and headed back to the room. 

          "Am I that much of a bother?" He asked, catching up to him.

          "Not so much of a bother as a…well…yea, a bother." He slid the key through the lock and opened the door. "But that's ok, better a bother than what you were before." Tala closed the door behind them and questioned.

          "And what was I before?" Rei jumped onto Kai's bed and shrugged his shoulders. 

          "Um…pretty much just a pain in the a…in the butt." Tala grinned and sat next to him. 

          "But I'm not now, right?" Rei crossed his legs and thought it over. "C'mon Rei. You have to admit, I'm not that bad once you get to know me." The neko tilted his head.

          "I guess so…then again, I was stuck with you all afternoon." Taps and plups from the rain on the window kept the room from being quiet. He looked out the window, letting out an almost inaudible sigh. Tala caught it though.

          "Worried about the others?" 

          "Hm? Well-no. I mean, they're probably inside so…yea, they're ok."

          "If you believed that you wouldn't keep looking out the window every five minutes." Rei dropped his shoulders.

          "I can't help it that's all." The older boy scooted closer to him, their arms barely touching.

          "It's your nature to worry about everyone, isn't it?" He unconsciously leaned against the redhead, used to having Kai there in times like these.

          "Not everyone, just people I care about." He grinned.

          "You care about me kitten?" Rei moved backwards and starred at him.

          "I never said that." 

          "You said that you worry about those you care about."

          "So?"

          "So, when I was caught up in the storm you were worried about me." Rei blinked and turned away. Tala took the opportunity to get closer to him again. He had almost pinned the boy against the headboard of Kai's bed. "Can't hide your feelings for me can you Rei?" A blush grew on the tiger's cheeks, but he managed to keep his voice normal.

          "Feelings? You're assuming too much Tala." He tried to push him away, only causing him to move in. "But um…let's forget it. How about we go get some dessert? Max and I passed a good looking ice cream parlor on the way here." A crash of thunder made him rethink his plan though. "Ok…granted it's still pretty stormy, but we can still go downstairs and look around. How's that sound?" He was getting nervous, as Tala didn't seem to be listening to a word he was saying. Though his eyes were fixed on his face. "So…how about-uh…what are you doing?" The older blader was edging closer (if it were possible), bringing his hand up to brush away Rei's bangs and stroke his cheek. "Tala…"

          "Yes?" Rei wanted to cringe away, but he couldn't. And soon, he didn't want to. It felt nice…he never dreamed that Tala's touch would be this gentle or soft. And it was a main action in his dreams. He leaned into it, enjoying the contact.

          "What about desse-mm…" Tala had lured, cornered, and finally captured his prey, enjoying the soft touch of the boy's lips against his own. He didn't know what it was about the neko-jin, but he enticed him so, and it seemed like Rei felt the same way. The tiger didn't act like the submissive type, but with the right push, Tala had him at his mercy. He quickly wrapped his arms around the boy's waist, pulling him closer as the kiss deepened. 

          Rei was taken by surprise obviously, but he still responded. His arms went around the older boy's neck, Tala was leaning his backwards, and though he knew the wolf wouldn't drop him, he wanted to be safe. Not to mention how he was able to comb through his (slightly damp) silky hair. He moaned when Tala decided to take it further, plunging into the boy's mouth. It was…bliss. However, it couldn't last forever, and Rei backed away slowly, much to Tala's discontent. 

          "…Too much for you kitten?" Rei shook his head and leaned against him, his breathing still a bit ragged. 

          "Everything in moderation Tala…" Rei whispered in a sultry tone. The wolf simply narrowed his gaze on him.

          "Only follow that when you don't want to get tired of a good thing." He kissed the neko's cheek, and then proceeded to his neck, planting chaste butterfly kisses up to his jaw…each one earning a small moan or shiver from Rei. "But I'll never tire of you koneko, so I have nothing to worry about." The raven-haired blader could feel Tala's hands slip under his vest and t-shirt and slide across his skin, he tensed.

          "Heh, not too patient, are you?" Tala stopped and looked into his golden eyes.

          "I could be. I was patient with you all afternoon wasn't I?"

          "Hardly." He smirked.

          "Well, do you want me to be patient or do you want another kiss?" Rei tilted his head and looked away.

          "Mm…I don't know…" Watching the tiger think over it for much too long, Tala pushed him down to the bed, the predatory gleam in his eyes again. "What are you doing?!"

          "Never mind what I said earlier, I'm not too patient when what I want is right in front of me." He leaned in and captured the boy's lips again, loving the spicy taste hidden in his mouth. 

          "Tala…" Rei moaned into his mouth, his breath taken away. How long had he waited for this feeling? It was something beyond words, not that he really wanted to think about it then. The older boy's touches were gentle yet demanding at the same time, and his long bangs tickled his cheeks. He couldn't help but laugh. Tala pulled away just enough to see his golden eyes sparkling with joy.

          "Interesting time to laugh kitten. I knew that I had an effect on you, I just didn't think it would be a humorous one." Rei smiled.

          "I'm sorry, but your hair feels funny against my face." He sighed and tried to tuck it behind his ear, only to have it fall back. The neko smiled. "At least mine stays when I put it back." The redhead growled and leaned in again, stopped by another crash of thunder. 

          "That is really getting annoying." He got up and pulled down the shade, blinking when a yellow blue caught his gaze. "Hm?" The raven-haired blader sat up and hopped off the bed, walking over to the wolf.

          "What is it?" The shade fell down as he turned around and embraced the boy.

          "I think the storm's clearing, and I think your teammate's are back." Rei's eyes widened as he peaked through the shade. 

          "Really?" He didn't see anyone, were they inside already? What would they say if they saw Tala here? He raced to the intercom by the door, pushing one of the buttons. "Excuse me, did a group of boys just come in?" Static buzzed for a few seconds before a voice responded.

          "Yes, one brunette, a blonde, one boy with a hat, and a taller boy with blue markings on his face." Rei smiled, that was his team.

          "Ok, thank you." He turned to face Tala, only to find him gathering his things and slinging his bag over his shoulder. 

          "Time to go kitten." Rei's smile disappeared, what was going to happen now? He walked over to the despondent youth and kissed him lightly on the forehead. "Don't worry, I promise to come back, when you're back in Tokyo. And I don't break promises to those I love, remember?" 

          "…You love me?" Tala smirked.

          "Well it wasn't a one night stand if that's what you're wondering." He caressed Rei's cheek. "Besides, Kai would kill me if I did that to you. He's very possessive."

          "No, just over protective, and so are you." He nodded.

          "Which is why I better not find any blue smudges on your face the next time I see you." One more chaste kiss on the lips and Tala opened the door to leave. Rei walked out with him, holding the door open. 

          "Wait, your vest." The redhead waved it away.

          "Keep it. At least until I come back to return these clothes to Kai. Maybe it'll remind you that you're mine anyway." Rei grinned.

          "Yea…right." He dug his hands into the pockets. "At least take your…huh?" He came out empty-handed. Where were his blade and cell? Tala called out a few feet down the hall, holding up Wolborg in his hand.

          "I already have them." He placed it back into his cargo pocket. "You know, you don't pay much attention when you're caught up in a moment." He smirked. "Just think of the possibilities." Rei's blush grew, which made him all the cuter. "Don't worry, I'll save that for another day. Night kitten." Rei could barely raise his hand to wave him off. He just stood on the threshold, waiting for him to turn the corner to the elevators. 

          "Hm…good night Tala." He slipped back inside, rushing over to Kai's bed, smoothing out the wrinkles before the bluenette put two and two together.

~*~

          The rest of the BladeBreakers were in the elevator, talking about the tournament. They had won of course, and even though it was for charity, Tyson still made a big deal about it.

          "Which team is _still_ number one?!" Max pumped his fist in the air. 

          "The BladeBreakers!" Kai sighed again. 

          "Who will always be number one?!" Kenny shied away, not wanting either of the hyperactive teens to hit him with their cheering.

          "The BladeBreakers!" The taller bluenette shook his head. It had been like that all the way back.

          "Cut it out you two…" They didn't heed his warning.

          "No way! It's been forever since we've been in a tournament, and I intend to celebrate!" Max nodded.

          "Yea, what's wrong with celebrating?"

          "But it was a small charity tournament, it wasn't the World Championships." The bell dinged, they had reached their floor.

          "I know that Chief, and speaking of that, we're going to take the Championships too!" A familiar voice rung in as the doors opened. 

          "Awfully confident aren't you Tyson?" The jubilant youth turned around, only to practically jump out of his skin.

          "Whoa! Tala?! What the heck are you doing here?!" They all stepped out, greeting the redhead in their own manner. "And why are you dressed like Kai?" He merely stuffed his hands in his pockets and shrugged his shoulders.

          "I was in the neighborhood. As for the clothes, if Kai can pull it off, I should be able to show them no problem." Tyson crossed his arms.

          "What are you really doing here?" Something clicked in his head. "You're not here to take out Rei are you?" He gasped. "That's your plan isn't it?! To take out the BladeBreakers one by one so that we can't compete in the next championship match!" Max and Kenny sighed and started dragging him away, smiling nervously at the redhead. "Well it won't work buddy! Rei is as strong as the rest of us! He can take you out in one minute!" By the time the two had taken him down the hall, his voice had disappeared…or at least diminished. 

          "So, I assume you won the tournament?"

          "Hn. How's Rei?" 

          "Really worried about the kitten aren't you?" Kai gave him one of his natural glares. "He's fine. The rest did him good. He should be back to normal in no time, if not already."

          "Thanks." Tala shook his head.

          "It was no problem. Actually I should be thanking you." Kai raised an eyebrow.

          "For…?" He stayed silent. "Tala, what did you do to him?" It was more of a command, even if it was presumed a question.

          "Nothing." He entered the elevator, still smirking. The bluenette replied in a deadly calm tone. 

          "…Tala…" The doors started to close. 

          "Ask the kitten yourself if you're that curious." The doors closed, and Kai was left there alone. He started for his room, picking up his pace with every new thought that came to his head.

          'If he's hurt him I swear I'll…' He slid the card through the lock and walked in. "Rei?" The neko smiled hopped off his bed.

          "Hey Kai, how did the tournament go?" The bluenette motioned him to sit down.

          "It was fine-"

          "You guys won, right?"

          "Yes but-"

          "All right! I thought that without me you guys wouldn't have made it."

          "Yea but-wait a minute…are you saying that we can't win without you?" Rei smiled innocently.

          "Of course not! Just…lightening your apparently not so bright mood." He pulled his legs up on the bed and leaned on them. "You ok?"

          "I'm worried about you. When I left, you were unconscious." He pulled back the boy's bangs and put his hand on his forehead. "Are you ok?" Rei sighed and pushed his hand away.

          "I'm fine Kai. I think I slept my fever away." The older boy didn't let up.

          "Hm…you're cheeks are still a bit flushed, do you feel hot?" He looked away, his blush returning upon resurfacing memories.

          "No, no I feel fine, honest!" Kai brought his hand to the boy's chin and turned him so that he could see his golden eyes. He noticed the not-quite-there look, and his swollen bottom lip; he smirked and shook his head. "What?" The phoenix briefly touched the skin.

          "Tala's handy work no doubt." Rei didn't respond. "So I was right, he did pull one on you. I wonder if he knew you liked him all this time…" 

          "Wait, you knew?!" Kai innocently shrugged his shoulders. "If you knew, why didn't you tell me you knew?! I needed to talk to someone about it!" Kai let go of him and crossed his arms.

          "If you needed someone to talk to, you could have come to me." The raven-haired neko shifted. "See, it wasn't my fault."

          "But…well, how was I supposed to…uhn…" Kai smiled (which was rare even with Rei) and put his arm around the boy's shoulder. He kissed his tufts of soft black hair lightly and leaned against him.

          "At least it's out in the open now…to me anyway. Now…before he comes by again, with my clothes I presume, we need to have a little chat." Rei's head dropped with a groan.

          "Oh god…" 

~*~*~*~

SS-Just to clear things up…Rei and Kai are _not_ a couple in this ficcy. In my other one…yes, but Rei is Tala's in this little piece. It's weird, you can think of a lot more situations with different couples. And when you write another couple…things come to you differently. I can't really explain it, but if you're a writer and haven't tried it yet, maybe you should. You get a whole new perspective on things. ^^;; Or maybe it's just me. Yea, that's probably it.

          Anyway, I'll get back to my other Rei/Kai centered fic now, read it if you like; my other one-shots will be coming out soon. Please review! It always makes me happy when I hear what you people think. No flames though, CC is fine, but I have enough fire for my marshmallows okay? Alrighty, bye bye!


End file.
